Wednesday, August 29, 2012

YesYou are the latest Australian act to wash over us and leave us breathless with bated exhales. The synthsational duo of Jono Kirkham and Gav Parry first breezed across our radar last June with debut single "Half of It" - still a jam one year on - but now they've returned with a new single featuring Marcus Azon of Jinja Safari, a band we've already featured in these pages and whose latest single "Toothless Grin" has been in steady rotation at Neon Gold HQ all summer long. "Frivolous Life" is a triumph for everyone involved, as Azon's sky-flying vocals take off into the night on the golden-tipped wings of YesYou's smoother-than-silk production. Together, they effortlessly surf the falsetto void, dancing a fine line between the shimmer and shake of Foster The People and the iridescent ooh-ooh's of Yeasayer. Carefree? Yes. Frivolous? Hardly.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Hot on the heels of Popshop NYC, the first weekend in September also brings with it the next Popshop Brooklyn, as the sun and the moon and the stars align to bring us both of our signature New York club nights on the same weekend as our fourth birthday. And if you know us, birthdays and purpose-driven raging are a serious
business. So this time around, we've got
the magnificent genre-bending POP ETC and astrological sensations Gemini Club doing it large live, and LA's rapidly ascending DJ sensation Goldroom - fresh off a sold out Glasslands headline last week - taking us into the early hours on the ones and twos.

It's a double your
pleasure, double your fun kind of weekend and it's only once in a baby blue moon that the calendar even makes this possible, so it's a very special one indeed. It's all going down September 8th at Brooklyn Bowl, with advance tickets available HERE. Trust us, you really don't want to miss this one.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Next month marks a magical occasion on which the stars align and not only do Popshop NYC and Popshop Brooklyn both fall on the same weekend, but said weekend also marks the four year anniversary of Neon Gold as we look to turn four years AWESOME in style. To celebrate this milestone, our flagship club night, Popshop NYC is going extra large with the LEGEND, Fred Falke, presiding as the maestro of ceremonies in the headline slot. Supporting him are our new go-to partystarters Ghost Beach, and as it's an anniversary show you better believe we'll have a few special guests in the mix. As usual it's all going down at Santos Party House, with doors at 9pm sharp and advance tix now available HERE. This is your formal invite to our birthday party, presence mandatory.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Brooklyn's Lovelife have just released their debut EP, El Regreso, and are ringing it in this week by supporting The Neighbourhood on their debut NYC shows with us. EP standout "I'm No More" injects glossy '90s
production into modern R&B, like a goth D'Angelo or The Neighbourhood's long lost brothers from across the Atlantic. It cold-opens with scene-setting samples and an
anti-hero stuck in a pendulum of doubt that's both lush and relatable, and when you hit the brilliant instrumental break, it's game, set and match. You've got one more chance to catch Lovelife and The Neighbourhood on the same bill this week when they take the stage at Glasslands tomorrow night, get your tickets HERE while you still can.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Our second Popshop West was a runaway success, with St. Lucia selling out The Echo HARD in his Los Angeles debut. For the third installment next Monday, we're bringing back launch party standouts Wildcat! Wildcat! to close out their month-long Echo residency in style with a grand finale of epic proportions. Warming up the stage we have Frank + Derol getting things started early, before DWNTWN take over the main support slot with their irresistible boy-girl electro charm and west coast dreamrockers Magic Wands wrap things up late night. It's all
going DWN next Monday at 8pm at The Echo, and did we mention it's absolutely free? Because it is. Yeah, we'll see you there.

Friday, August 17, 2012

From the moment we heard them, we knew The Neighbourhood were destined for greatness well beyond the California picket fence, and its with unbearable anticipation that we await their debut NYC shows with us next week. Surfing in on a tidal wave of buzz and a freshly-inked record deal with our good friends at Columbia Records, the Newbury Park five-piece hit the Studio at Webster Hall this Tuesday, before taking things across the bridge to Brooklyn at Glasslands on Thursday. Both shows will be supported by their long lost brothers of pop noir brilliance Lovelife, who have made the quite the name for themselves since hitting our shores earlier this summer. Tickets are going fast and both of these shows are likely to be sold out affairs, so get your Webster tickets HERE and your Glasslands tickets HERE before it's too late.
But wait, there's more. The Neighbourhood already had one of our leading song of the year candidates in "Sweater Weather", but now they've got a video of the year contender in their brand new clip for "Female Robbery", the track that started it all last spring. Their heart-of-darkness Lana Del Rey cinematica was always born for the silver screen, and they don't disappoint with the brilliant new Emile Haynie-produced version of "Robbery" and a video that looks and feels like Hitchcock bringing Twin Peaks back to life in the most masterful way. It's got all the makings of a great American tragedy, so bury yourself in the video above and get ready for the takeover when they hit NYC next week.

Our first ever remix contest was a quiet success. Sure, there was an influx of dubstep remixes and mental experimental ones, but nevertheless there was one shining diamond of hope in the rough. So without further ado, we're very excited to introduce you to our winner, Moves, a brand new DC trio proudly wearing their dance-pop influences on their short short sleeves. Their rework is rather straightforward, but it's everything we love about the Atlas Genius original and more, set against a hyperactive synth backdrop and adult-sized backbeat. Free download is available below, make moves.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Phebe Starr is the latest pop starrlet from down under to make our collective heart skip a beat. The Australian chanteuse's debut single, "Alone With You", mixes and matches the dark whimsy of Mr. Little Jeans with shades of the legendary Sia and the frostbitten charm of Lykke Li, as skittering synths, wistful melodies, and hydraulic drums wash over you like waves of everlasting hope. You're about to seriously fall head over heels for Phebe Starr, but it's ok, we're all in this together.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Sound of Arrows and The Knocks are two of our favorite electronic duos in the game right now (or, y'know, ever), so to have the two appear on the same track is more or less a dream come true. The Swedish daydreamers remixed "Brightside" late last year and now The Knocks have returned the favor on "Wonders" and amp up the dance factor for the club. Through wizardly electronic flourishes and Stefan's looped and thinly sliced vocals, it's like a darker after-hours departure from the original's blissful nostalgia that breaks more than just a few curfews along the way. You could say it's a match made in Neon Gold heaven.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

It's a big week for Capital Cities. The LA duo first captivated us with "Safe + Sound" last summer and now they're back with another anthemic pitcher of refreshing pop. This time, they take on the Prince-penned Sinead O'Connor classic "Nothing Compares 2 U" and turn the laidback early '90s swoon-song into an upfront ultra-modern love letter, replete with regal synths and royal horns. Covers these days are usually a topical hit-or-miss but this one just hits and hits. East coasters have two chances to catch Capital Cities at Neon Gold events this week, first at All Things Gold in DC tomorrow (tix HERE), and then at Popshop Brooklyn this Saturday at BK Bowl (tix HERE). No excuses.

Considering the insane success of our All Things Gold anniversary celebration at 9:30 Club last month, we're more excited than ever to kick off another monster year of live shows in the heart of our nation's capital. This Thursday, we resume our regularly scheduled programming with smash-up sensations, The Hood Internet, in the headline DJ slot, plus LA's white hot Capital Cities in the live headline and Boston-based heatseekers Magic Man getting things started early. It's all (things) going down at U Street at 10pm, cop your tickets HERE.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

With our next Popshop on the horizon, we've got another installment of Popshop Radio for y'all. In addition to a preview of tomorrow's star-studded cast, we also have the newest wave of talent literally in the mix. Featured, we have a Savoir Adore classic, our latest release from POP ETC, and the HAIM anthem of our summer. Also featured is a heavy new banger from The Knocks, Heavy Roc's latest addition to the fam, Alison Valentine, and that new new from our first loves, Passion Pit. So pop this in the tapedeck before you join us tomorrow night at Santos, tickets are still available HERE. It's actually our biggest. one. yet.